Come Home
by accio-avengers
Summary: when Steve and Tony fight, disastrous consequences ensue. Based on OneRepublics song, 'Come Home'


Come Home

_Hello world__  
__Hope you're listening__  
_

It was always awkward when Steve and Tony fought.

It hadn't happened many times, really. The few times it had, it had been over trivial things- Steve was sick and wouldn't admit it or Tony refused to go to sleep, preferring to work on his gadgets. Little niggles, trivial annoyances. They'd only ever fought big once, and Steve had felt so guilty about wrongly accusing Tony that he had never done it again. So why were they fighting now?

Steve ran his hands over his face in frustration. Tony had been tired, Steve vaguely ill. They had been discussing trivial matters, nothing big, nothing important. Steve had said something stupid, stupid about Tony's attitude towards the others, something that could be taken badly from Tony's perspective, and oops! Now they weren't talking.

_Forgive me if I'm young  
Or speaking out of turn_

Steve had gotten up and walked out, and five minutes later when he felt guilty, had returned to find the door firmly locked. Tony could hear Steve rattling the doorknob, yelling to Tony, could see him through the glass, an exasperated expression on his face.  
"Jarvis, the blinds. And while you're at it, the soundproofing could be turned on as well."

Jarvis obliged, and Tony breathed a brief sigh of relief.

He was disrupted again by the buzzing of his phone.

Look, Tony, I'm sorry, ok?  
Just decide if you're mad or not, rather than just ignoring me.  
-SR

Tony made up his mind quickly- He was mad, and promptly turned his phone of. He could visualise the slump in Steve's shoulders and the disappointed sigh he would emit. Tony pushed that image to the back of his mind and whirled his high tech chair around to his desk once more. Why did Steve just have to be so good? It made Tony's stomach twist at the thought of it. He wished he was more like him. But he was Tony, sarcastic narcissist Tony, and he couldn't change that.

_There's someone I've been missing  
And I think that they could be  
The better half of me _

The other Avengers found the whole feud most odd, considering that they had no idea what had caused it in the first place. Steve took the whole thing in his stride, laughing like usual as he tried to teach Thor snap, a rather amusing incident as Thor could not get past the fact that snap seemed to mean breaking the cards in half. Still, it was obvious to the others that his laugh was a little too loud, his smiles a little too forced, and the fact that he had his back turned to Tony the whole time and kept sneaking glances at him made their argument that little bit more obvious.

Tony took the opposite side of the room as the others, the television turned up loud but eyes glazed over, not even watching the television, deep in thought. Nobody approached him, considering he had a look on his face that suggested _say a word and I'll break your face. _

Still, the atmosphere that night was most definitely not a comfortable one.

_They're in their own place trying to make it right  
But I'm tired of justifying  
So I say to you _

One by one, the avengers all headed to bed- Clint first, then Bruce, Natasha, and lastly Thor. Thor patted Steve's hand on the way out, an oddly friendly gesture Steve was not used to seeing the big man do.

Steve knew Thor felt awkward alone with Tony and himself, and just let him go. He felt awkward himself. What can you say to the one person who understands you after you've basically just called them a dick, _though in considerably nicer terms_, he noted to himself. He felt too guilty of what happened just to get up and leave, no matter how much he wanted to. His internal struggle was resolved for him when Tony got up and walked out, leaving Steve to stare after him sadly.

He missed Tony.

_Come home  
Come home  
Cause I've been waiting for you  
For so long  
For so long  
_

Back in his room, Tony slammed his hand down on the table in frustration. Stupid, Stupid Steve sticking his stupid nose into other peoples stupid business. And now he was making him feel guilty, again, staring after him all melancholic, stupid Steve, didn't he realise he's hurt Tony enough already? Tony was not going to give in, like hell he wasn't.

Steve would be the one to suffer, this time.

_And right now there's a war between the vanities  
But all I see is you and me  
The fight for you is all I've ever known  
So come home _

Steve couldn't sleep. This was odd, because Tony was usually the one who couldn't sleep. Steve usually had to tell Tony to sleep, over and over, usually by text.

And still he'd fall asleep before Tony. But here he was, lying in bed, eyes wide open and brain whirring, unable to sleep, unable to do anything but think.

After at least an hour of this, silent cursing and silent guilt, he rolled over and blearily picked up his phone. Without thinking, he typed Tony's number in and started typing a message to him. He poured his feelings into it, cursing his own stupidity and apologising to Tony numerous times. After proofreading it once or twice or twenty times, checking for something that might offend or upset him further, he hit the send button, heart in his mouth.

Maybe now he'd apologised, maybe now everything could be ok.

_I get lost in the beauty  
Of everything I see  
The world ain't as half as bad  
As they paint it to be _

Tony's phone emitted the small beep that let him know somebody needed him. _What now? He thought,_ groggily checking the message bank. Seeing Steve's name made his stomach twist. He had no idea on what Steve wanted, but he, Tony Stark, sure as hell did not care. _Not a bit_, he told himself, as he turned his phone back off, ignoring that damned guilt.

Stupid Steve. How he hated him right now.

_If all the sons  
All the daughters  
Stopped to take it in  
Well hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin _

Steve watched his phone screen hopefully, waiting for the reply. Surely Tony would understand. He'd get it now. He'd realise that he hadn't meant to offend him, that it was a mistake.

When the little box popped up telling him his message had been seen, Steve's heart sank. Tony had seen his heartfelt reply. He'd seen the sorry. And he hadn't even cared enough to reply.

Tony was tired. Dead tired. He'd downed the alcohol, and that hadn't done anything for him. He'd had a sleeping pill, and then another when the first one hadn't worked. He's kept going, Jarvis screaming to stop until he'd turned it off. Tired, tired, tired. Need sleep. Not suicidal. Just tired. He'd kept going until he'd felt utterly groggy, and then turned and flown off out the open window.

Steve would have preferred an angry reply than nothing, actually. At least an angry reply had emotion in it, at least an angry reply showed that Tony was at least thinking about what had happened, what they had used to be. No. Tony didn't even give him anger. He gave him nothing.

A single tear escaped down his face, which he brushed away angrily. He hoped everything would right itself. But somehow, he couldn't see that happening.

_It might start now... Yeah  
Well maybe I'm just dreaming out loud _

Steve must have slept somehow, after all, because he was awoken by a brisk shake.

"Get- up- now!" Natasha hissed at him.

"What...?"

"Your good friend Tony Stark has gone missing. Disappeared. His armours gone, he's gone. There's an empty bottle of alcohol on his desk, real strong stuff. Bruce reckoned it was more than just alcohol. Jarvis is turned off."

Steve's face paled. "This is, it's all, it's my-"

Natasha sighed, grabbing his arm and yanking him forcefully out of bed. "Your fault, yes, whatever. We just need to find him. He's not in the right state to be wandering around who knows where at the moment." She chucked a jacket at him. "I'm just glad you don't sleep naked."

Once outside, everyone was busy. Steve just stood there, watching as people were organised into teams, getting ready to look. Natasha put an awkward hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find him."

Steve coughed. "Tasha... what else was in the drink?"

"Sleeping pills. Crushed. Too many." She walked off, leaving Steve just to will Tony home, will him safe.

_Until then  
Come home  
Come home  
Cause I've been waiting for you  
For so long  
For so long _

Steve and Banner were in a helicopter together- Steve because he'd have the most knowledge of where Tony would be, and Banner... Just in case medical help was required.

Steve squeezed his eyes shut as they flew over areas they'd flown over 100 times, still looking.

Please be ok. Please be ok. Please be ok. I'm sorry, Tony.

_And right now there's a war between the vanities  
But all I see is you and me  
The fight for you is all I've ever known  
So come home _

He kept the thought in his head, a mantra, a prayer, as they searched yet again, faces pressed against the windows. I need Tony. I can't do this without him.

_Everything I can't be  
Is everything you should be  
And that's why I need you here  
Everything I can't be  
Is everything you should be  
And that's why I need you here _

They were standing on the helipad, avengers assembled. Avengers minus one. Still no Tony. Everyone was at a bit of a loss, really, Steve thought. He couldn't just go home, to bed, with no Tony around. Hell, he'd even like a silently angry Tony rather than no Tony. He couldn't help but think of the times he'd been a git to Tony, all the times he'd been rude or ungrateful or angry or just... Shit, he missed his Tony. Was he even alive? For all he knew, Tony could be dead.

Why? Why did this happen? Steve's whole body hurt, most of all his heart. He was crying, big tough Steve, and didn't even care.

_So hear this now  
Come home  
Come home _

Footsteps sounded behind him on the pad. Steve jumped. He thought he'd been the only one out there, everyone else had headed in to discuss their next plan of action, whether Tony could even be alive or not, what to do. Steve was facing the entrance, although on the opposite side of the pad. If somebody had come out, he would have seen them. So how the hell did one of them get behind him? Unless... Unless they could fly.

_Cause I've been waiting for you  
For so long  
For so long _

Tony.

_And right now there's a war between the vanities  
But all I see is you and me _

As he landed, flipping up his helmet, his knees buckled, and Steve was there in an instant, arm around his back. Tony gave a dazed glare that clearly stated,_ fuck off if you know what's good for you._ Steve held on tighter.

_The fight for you is all I've ever known  
Ever known _

"God, Tony. I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry." Steve wiped the tears away, the tears now coming think and fast, tears of joy.

Tony didn't say anything, just slowly pulled up his spare hand and placed it over Steves which was lying on his shoulder, patting it gently. Together, like that, they walked off, towards the avengers, their family.

_Come home  
Come home_


End file.
